Bob Wright

Internal taper should not have required tapered chambers? Bob Wright

My first handgun was a .45 Colt New Service, and I've had a lot of respect for that caliber ever since. Here, some of my .45s: The .45 Colt round has been around a long, long time. I believe the first cartridges were made by the old Union Metallic Cartridge Co. for Army trials. Soon Frankford Arsenal began production of the .45 Colt round. These were inside primed, copper cased cartridges: Though the .45 Colt round didn't last too long with the Army, as the Army adopted the shorter .45 S&W round shortly after. But the old round was, sort of, resurrected some years later for the Colt New Service M-1909 revolver: Old as it is, the old .45 keeps on truckin'. Bob Wright

Actually the case walls do thicken near the head of the case. Here are two .45 Colt cases, one old balloon head case, the other a modern case: As noted, the thickness where I cut doesn't affect bullet seating. When were the tapered cases used? Never saw a .45 Colt round tapered. Here are some vintage .45 rounds, including the ".45 Short Colt", though not so called: Bob Wright

Case wall thickness no problem. Bob Wright

The question apparently never will be settled "Can I fire .45 ACP in my .45 Colt revolver?" Now, I'm speaking of the Ruger Blackhawk, .45 Colt with auxiliary cylinder. An unaltered cylinder. So, here it goes: The .45 ACP will not work in the longer Colt chamber. Since it has no rim, it will slide down into the chamber too far for the firing pin to reach. Half moon/full moon clips? If used, the resulting thickness will be too thick for the cylinder to be inserted into the gun. So, inserting the ACP cylinder, can I use .45 Auto Rim? No. The rim thickness is too thick for the headspace of the revolver. But: Of late, I salvaged some old .45 Colt cases with mouth splits, and cut them to the same length as the .45 ACP. These work fine in my ACP cylinder, and will work in the .45 Colt cylinder. As to their working: While I call my cartridges the .45 Xtra Short, it has already been done as the .45 Special and the .45 Cowboy, and brass is available for loading. But I chose to just salvage my old .45 Colt brass. Bob Wright

I believe I have stated here abouts that I have a penchant for the Single Action revolver. I do have a few, and just recently got this one: I really wasn't looking to buy one right now, but this came up on GunBroker and I submitted a half-hearted bid. Well, my bid held and I became the proud owner of another Colt New Frontier, a 7 1/2" .45 Colt. The grips that came on the gun were not original, of course, and I believe the previous owner had one-piece grips, maybe ivory, on the gun. But I had a pair of Colt walnut grips somewhere in my parts box, so swapped them out right quick. First shooting went O.K., but the trigger pull was atrocious, so its at Keith Warner's right now for an action job. Hunting season is about to open, so don't know when I'll see it again. Bob Wright

When I was a young tad, my Dad took me to a rodeo. It took place at the Memphis Fairgrounds, where the high school football field is now, Ken Maynard was the star of the rodeo. During intermission, Dad took me to the concession stand for a coke and hot dog. While we were there I saw a cowboy, dressed in Levi's and leather chaps, and wearing a holster and gun belt, in which he had a "red handled gun" as I remembered it. Single Action or not, I can't say, as for a few years after I was born I did not know too much about guns. But those red grips!! I determined then and there I would have a gun with "red handles." Many years apassed, but then one day, from Don Collins of Collinscraft Grips I got these: They are for a Ruger Super Blackhawk grip frame, and are vermilion wood from Africa, i think. Bob Wright

I began carrying a Single Action maybe six or seven years ago. I experimented with a couple or more of holsters, finally settling on these: They are sort of custom made from Graveyard Jack holsters, being modified Tom Threepersons style. And, these are made right here in Tennessee. http://www.sixgunleather.com/ Bob Wright

Last year I bought this Ruger New Vaquero, a .45 Colt, at a local gun shop: I had no use for a 7 1/2" barreled, fixed sight .45, but I did like the grips. So, I took those grips off, bought these, put them on the gun and sold it: Now I had no gun that those grips would fit, since they were the New Vaquero with the old style XR-3 grip frame. So I was forced to buy this .44 Special Flat Top: Now I had a gun for my new grips! Things seemed to work out pretty well, I think! Bob Wright

...................that I like Single Actions? And especially Single Actions fitted with stag grips? Left to Wright: Ruger Blackhawk (ex-Bisley) .45 Colt; Ruger Blackhawk, .45 Colt; Ruger Blackhawk Flt Top, .44 Special, and two Colt New Frontiers, .45 Colt. The grips on the .44 Special came from a Ruger .45 Colt New Vaquero that I found in a gun shop here in Memphis. I took the grips off and replaced them with stock grips, then bought the Flat Top for these grips. Note that these grips fit only the new XR-3 style grip frame, such as on the New Vaquero. Bob Wright

I bought this Cimarron/Uberti Open Top Navy .38 Special/Colt back in January of this year. I loaded up some mild .38 Special rounds, about as much steam as a .22 L.R., and this has proved to be one pleasant gun to shoot: Most of my guns for many years were heavy loaded, fire breathin' magnums or potent .44 Specials. Age has sort of mellowed me a bit, and this gun is, as I often put it, "a reloadable .22 R.F." The sights are terrible, and I had to use judicious use of a file to get on target with the gun. Two unexpected features: The barrel stub directs the flash forward and upward, so the gun, and my hand, stay cleaner without getting crud on the cylinder. And its the only revolver I have that allows cleaning the bore from the breech end. Wouldn't mind having a .44 Special like it. Bob Wright

I usually buy them at the cigar store or craft stores. I ferret out boxes at antique malls and second hand stores. I have made some boxes, though. Bob Wright

Not that I know of. Bob Wright

It's still there? Bob Wright

No. It was separated from me while in a gun shop for replacement of the mainspring. The shop was broken into and my gun, among others, was stolen. Did get a brand new Three Screw Blackhawk in .41 Magnum though. And, no, I don't have it now, but it left under more favorable circumstances, in a trade. Bob Wright

Thank you. Come visit me some Sunday at church. Bob Wright

My RCBS seating dies use the same seating stem for .44 Special, .44 Magnum, and .45 Colt, so I keep the seating stems separate in a wooden box. (I have this affinity for wooden boxes) My die is already set for crimping, so in order to get the correct seating depth, I made up some inert rounds: I then run the correct dummy round up into the die, then insert the seating stem until it contacts the bullet nose. And, just for a newbie to show off, my shell holder box: Bob Wright tipoc

I stated in another post that handguns could not be sold by dealers in Tennessee prior to about 1959. That applied strictly to FFL dealers. I had an uncle who lived in Lafayette, Tennessee, up in Macon County. On the square was Trapp's Jewelers, as I recall, who did a good business. He sold watches, ladies jewelry, pocket knives, and guns. As I recall, his wife had a Pennyrich Foundation shop also in back of the store. My uncle was Mr. Buford Prowell, a WW I veteran, avid squirrel hunter and gun buff. Uncle Buford's thing was for guns that fit into his shirt pocket, Colt and Browning .25 autos, mostly. He did have a couple of .38 of various makes. All of his trading was with Trapp's Jewelers, and he often would keep a gun only a month of so before trading. Uncle Buford's squirrel rifle was a Savage 340 in .22 Hornet, and he usually accounted for a squirrel for each round fired. And he remembered each squirrel and shot. He served with the 30th Infantry Division, 118th Machine Gun battalion, as a sharpshooter, protecting the gun. He was wounded by German artillery fire and received a pension the rest of his life, the squirrels augmenting table fare. Bob Wright

Oh, how glad I am that you asked that. I've got a good story or two! But yes, we often went to West Memphis, Ark., to a place called Camp City. This place was just across the River in Quonset huts arranged to form sort of a "H". At that time, the Memphis Police Department would toss confiscated handguns off the bridge into the Mississippi River. Scavengers scoured the west bank and dredged up some of these and refinished them, and many of these wound up at Camp City, along with military surplus arms and used guns, and occasionally a brand new gun would turn up. Some old rifles, Italian Carcanos for example, for $9.95! There was no provision for carrying then,either, unless you were on good terms with the local sheriff, who would grant you a "Reserve Commission." But then the phrase was "...........with intent to go armed." Certain times skirted this, as to hunting or target shooting. Folks had to walk a thin line in those days, or know the sheriff real good. Bob Wright

I believe that law was enacted in 1959 or so. Bob Wright

I'm a revolver man, have been for awhile. Many years ago it was illegal for dealers to sell handguns in Tennessee. Note it was not against the law to own one, just you couldn't buy one from a dealer here in Tennessee. But, then, here in Memphis, both Mississippi and Arkansas were so near, and mail order was in vogue at the time. In the fall of 1954 I sent off and bought a Colt New Service, well used, for the princely sum of $32.95! It was an old Canadian Mounties New Service, originally .455 caliber but reamed for .45 Colt. It was my first custom job, converted to .44 Special, S&W rear sight, Micro front, home made walnut stocks: That many moons ago. Bob Wright

Thank you. Bob Wright

For those who live in Memphis/Shelby County whose carry permits are coming due for renewal, be aware that the Tennessee Highway Patrol office is no longer the place to go. For this, and Driver's License, go to the old Perimeter Mall at Summer and White Station, near the Royal Furniture store. Not too well marked but the cars gathered will alert applicants. For permit renewal, its a breeze! Bob Wright

I'm Bob Wright, a proud Tennessean, my roots go way back in Tennessee. I'm a shooter and like the Single Action revolver. Bob Wright